Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-05-21

just see the dogs that are running in line
close together. They are not distinguishable
from each other, but each man is willing to
stake his reputation and hope of future hap
piness on the fact that his particular pet
hound is in front. The music is getting
fainter and fainter, and we can just hear the
cheers and yells of some farm laborers who
happen to be at work in the fields through
which the trail lies. The voices of hounds
and men die away altogether, and one of the
party hazards the conjecture that the dogs
have Done harked the old gal clair outen
the kentry." Old man Ruggles says nothing
but chews meditatively and listens. He
knows that she fox with young ones is
going to make a detour and go to earth every
time Yes by Jove! there they are again
Hear them They are coming this way, and
we ride across a couple more fences, leaving
them in a state of wreck, and gain hill
that overlooks the country for a mile or so
around.
Suddenly the hounds appear over the green
hill about half a mile off. Six of them run
ming together, the rest Struggling "Well,
do Clare" sings out the old man, reused out
of his stolidity, eff them two Jenny dogs
amt a-leadin'. Old Tai next, Driber, Slow
boy and the old slut. Boys, amt they a
takin' her? Runnin' breast high. She can't
be fur ahead. Here they come. They'll
pass us agin, sure" "Yow-yow, yow-yow,
yow-pow-ow- o-o-o-e-e-e," comes up from the
creek bottom, near and nearer. We all watch
in this direction intently and wait in culver
of excitement. Another shout, correspond
ing to a view halloo from one of the party.
"4ender she is. They've got her. boys"
Toiling over the green hill, just across the
new fence from us, comes the old she fox. No
longer kicking up her legs, with her tail high
in the air. but fiattened out, with dragging
brush and open mouth, but running like
streak all the same. Poor thing, her mater
nal duties have untitled her for holding out
long before these swift, n-fanked dogs
She had over-rated her powers in leading
them away from her den, where she left her
kittens, and now will she be able to reach it
before those fierce hot jaws, scarcely hun
dred yards behind her, tear her to pieces?
No feeling of pity or sympathy agitates the
breasts of the hunters, however.
The dogs appeared over the hill. Black
Jenny in the lead clears fence without
touching it. She views the fox and is rum
ming head up, followed by the five dogs
whose speed and endurance have enabled
them to hold the terrific pace. We scramble
in their wake. Dick breasts a fence and
tears a gap big enough to let us all through.
Whoep! halloo, down the thicket through
briar patches over bitches, we follow them.
"Boys, come on, they'll ketch her in the
medder." Oh, golly! wire fence. Never
mind, pull it down; now then after EN-
The struggling dogs cheered to renewed ex-
ertiOns by our presence put on extra steam
and come up with us. Rise 'em out, bark
'em puppies!' yells the major as the old
gray hobbies along as excited as he is We
are almost fifty yards behind the lead dogs
as they emerge in the broad meadow on the
creek where we first started and poor Mrs.
f. will never reach the creek Her den is
half way up the cliff on the other side, as we
afterward find. My horse, without any
exertions on my part but rather to my I'M
easiness, is well up in front Juggling at his
bit like one mad. Black Jenny, with
bound, is past the fox, who turns short. The
bitch makes a twist and a snap and rolls
over twice in the effort. Now White Jenny
and Tai are right in close. And the others
in frenzy are pushing up. In vain poor old
Lady r. turns and lodges. You'rea ''goner."
Two dogs run over her twice, she is knocked
off her pins but is up and away gamely.
Alas, that last turn brought her within reach
of Wanderer, who being straggler s-not
going so fast. He has her. She turns on
her back with a fierce snorting yells and
snaps him savagely in the shoulder, then in
the jaw.